Organizers: International Union of Forestry Research Organization (IUFRO), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) & Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO Non-Wood Forest Products Programme).

This full-day side-event (Saturday 20 September 2003, from 08:30 till 20:30) to the XII WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS (WFC) will examine three major issues that affect the conservation, development and management of non-wood forest resources and products. The day long event is the culmination of a global dialogue among stakeholders that has been on-going for more than a year. Participants from around the world will come together to consolidate the state of knowledge and explore ways to strengthen partnerships and institutional relations to support non-wood forest products science and development. The forum will formulate broad strategies and recommendations to advance research and action oriented programs on these products and their relationship to the sustainable development of social and ecological communities.

As part of its overall mandate to collate and improve global statistics on production and trade in forest products, and particularly to improve methodologies and country reporting mechanisms on NWFP, FAO together with the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) organized an Expert consultation on "Developing an action programme towards improved bamboo and rattan statistics" at its HQ in Rome from 5-6 December 2002. The consultation was organized in close collaboration with relevant international agencies, such as the United Nations Statistical Division - UNSD (New-York); the World Customs Organization - WCO (Brussels); the European Commission - Taxation and Customs Directorate (Brussels); customs agencies of member countries like the Customs General Administration of China (Beijing); and staff from the Economic and Social Department of FAO.

The purpose of the expert consultation was to: (i) elaborate and agree on a proposed set of new Harmonized System trade codes for bamboo and rattan products; and (ii) to elaborate a plan of action for improving bamboo and rattan statistics at national and global levels; with a programme of work and with the roles of the different agencies discussed and agreed upon during the meeting.

The meeting focussed on bamboo and rattan products, since they can be considered among the most important NWFP at the global level regarding production and trade values, and involve in one way or another almost all countries world-wide. The meeting further focussed on the Harmonized System of the WCO, as it is presently the most widely used product classification and coding system for traded products. The intent was to learn from the experiences gained by improving bamboo and rattan trade statistics in order to apply these lessons gradually on other major groups of NWFP that not yet adequately covered by the presently used national and international product classification and coding systems.

The meeting resulted in the elaboration and endorsement of a set of new HS codes for 17 different bamboo and rattan products (currently only two codes exist). For each code a set of required actions and timetables was suggested for submission to the WCO.

This proposal will be submitted by INBAR, in collaboration with FAO and with the support of national customs agencies, to the WCO Review Subcommittee Meeting of September 2003.

3. Medicinal plants: Chainsaws in the drugstore

Feeling tired lately? Or perhaps you have had a cough or some kind of infection? You might even have a more serious problem such as diabetes or an ulcer. If so, you are not alone. We all get sick some times and need help.

For a surprisingly high percentage of the world's population most of that help comes from medicinal plants. That is partly for cultural reasons and partly because they tend to be cheaper than drugs made by big companies. People also use plants to cure problems western medicine still cannot solve.

Many medicinal plants are readily available. Women grow them in their gardens or they grow naturally all around. However, some key plants are becoming scarce due to logging, over-harvesting and deforestation and that has put many families' health at risk.

For nearly a decade, Patricia Shanley from CIFOR and Leda Luz from the State Forestry Institute in Minas Gerais, Brazil have been studying this problem in the Amazon. Their results, presented in "The Impacts of Forest Degradation on Medicinal Plant Use and Implications for Health Care in Eastern Amazonia" in Bioscience, are hardly reassuring.

The authors focus on the Amazon city of Belem and find that most of its 1.7 million inhabitants use medicinal plants to treat a wide range of ailments. The city's markets, shops, pharmacies, gas stations, and curbside vendors sell more than two hundred different plants, of which about half grow naturally in the Amazon. The main downtown outlets alone make more than one million sales each year, generating several million dollars, and sales are growing fast. Some plants are just sold as is, but there is also a growing variety of capsules, powders, liquid medications, and shampoos.

Of the twelve top-selling medicinal plants in Belem, eight come from forests. Logging companies use five of those trees for timber and that has depleted their supply. Many important medicinal tree species are particularly vulnerable to logging because they grow slowly and occur in low densities. Fewer trees means less access for the rural poor and higher prices for medicinal tree barks, roots, and oils. That has made sick people's lives much harder.

Politicians always like to talk about health care because they know it affects all of us. But they pay too much attention to white coats and high-priced drugs and not enough to the plants that so many people turn to when they get ill. To get the chainsaws out of our drugstores, that has got to change.

To request a free electronic copy of this report in pdf or word format to Titin Suhartini at t.suhartini@cgiar.org To send comments or queries to the authors write Patricia Shanley at p.shanley@cgiar.org

The honey produced in the Xingu region is now being sold outside the state. This month, the indigenous communities will send a shipment of honey to three Sao Paulo supermarkets. They are negotiating with the Pao de Açúcar supermarket chain, which has shops in twelve states of Brazil. The communities currently produce 1 500 kg of honey per month. They are beginning to increase production. The deal with the Pão de Açúcar Group could open the doors to the international market.

The product has strong commercial appeal as it is produced by Indians. The honey has organic certification from the Biodynamic Institute. The certificate is only awarded to products which are produced by sustainable practices which do not harm the environment. The honey is the first indigenous product to receive a Federal Inspection Seal from the Ministry of Agriculture, which means that the honey is produced in accordance with health and safety legislation. The seal authorises the sale of the honey in other states.

5. Nuts

Bread made with nut milk is a speciality of regional cuisine in Acre. As well as being tasty, the product is highly nutritious. An Acre-based company, Sello Industria Comercio, Importação is building a factory to produce pasteurised nut milk, which may be used as an alternative to coconut milk in cooking. The company already has contracts with companies in Europe for the exportation of nut products. The product will begin to be sold in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre, but the company hopes to expand its production and sell the product to other states. This year, Sello hopes to produce 100 000 litres of nut milk. The factory will employ 32 people.

The Brazil nut is considered to be one of the most complete foods available. It is rich in protein, lipids and minerals. Brazil exports around US$ 3.3 million of Brazil nuts every year but the product has been banned in the European Community due to concerns about contamination with a carcinogenic fungus, aflatoxin. The ban will not affect the exportation of nut milk

5.2 Brazil nuts vetoed in Europe Source: Amazon News, 17 July 2003

Sanctions imposed by the European Commission on the importation of Brazil nuts in their shells, due to the presence of a fungus which is thought to be carcinogenic, have effectively brought an end to the export of the product to Europe. The Brazilian government and the private sector lack the minimum infrastructure to meet the European standards.

All Brazil nuts exported to Europe must be accompanied with a certificate stating their origin. All the nuts must also be tested. Brazilian producers currently do not have the means to comply with these regulations. The trade in the nut, which is a symbol of Brazil, is worth around US$ 3.3 million per year.

The European Commission decision was based on a technical inspection carried out in Para in January and February of this year. The inspection team found levels of the fungus, aflatoxin, 100 times greater than that permitted under European Commission rules.

Brazilian diplomats in Brussels have criticised the decision as another example of European agricultural protectionism.

5.3 Nuts to get 'green seal' Source: Amazon News, 17 July 2003

The Ecoamazon Institute is to hold a workshop on the process to obtain certification for nuts produced in Amazonia. The meeting will take place in Acre on 21 July, with support from WWF and the Avina Foundation. It will be attended by representatives from non-governmental organizations, government bodies, producers' association from Egiptacia and Brasileia and the bodies responsible for issuing the FSC 'green seal', the Instituto Biodinâmico (IBD) and Imaflora.

The coordinator of the certification project, Danuza Lemos, explained that the first phase of the project will involve three of the 35 associations which make up the CAPEB cooperative, benefiting 30 families.

The FSC seal increases the communities' potential for generating income while encouraging environmental conservation and greater social responsibility. The seal is a guarantee of quality and origin. "Whoever buys the product will know that it was produced in an environmentally-correct manner. It means that the community will be better organized and the quality of life will improve", added Danuza Lemos.

For the president of the Chico Mendes Association, Valdarei Machado, certification has a fundamental importance because it represents the realisation of a dream held by extractivist communities. "We who live in the forest and take from it to survive know that if we want to make a living from her we have to improve our products. I see certification as something good for extractivist communities. It means that we can progress and give our children access to education and health", he said.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a body linked to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Relations, has sent a mission to Brazil to see the changes in the Brazilian government at first hand and examine the impacts of development and conservation projects in Amazonia. The Japanese are interested in financing or giving technical support to initiatives - public and non-governmental - which aim to preserve the tropical forests and improve the quality of life of the population of Amazonia.

The members of the mission have attended meetings at a number of ministries and have visited the states of Pará, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Acre and Rondônia. In Rondonia, the Japanese delegation visited Project Reca, a community organization involving 40% of rural producers in Vila Nova California which has developed agroforestry systems and food production. This sustainable development project guarantees an income for more than 300 families.

The members of the delegation spoke to researchers about investment opportunities in the region, including the development of medicinal plants and forest management.

7. Brazil: Protest against cupuacu patents

A 14-metre long banner protesting against the patenting of the Amazonian fruit cupuacu in other countries will be placed in one of the main corridors of the Brazilian parliament over three days. The banner, which reads "Cupuacu is ours", has been signed by thousands of people. The aim of the protest is to encourage Federal Deputies to support the struggle of Amazonian communities against a Japanese company, Asahi Foods, which has registered 'cupuacu' as a trademark. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already given its support to the campaign and is working with the National Institute of Industrial Property to discuss means of cancelling the registration of the trademark in the United States.

The international patenting of cupuacu and other Amazonian products has been condemned by Federal Deputy Henrique Afonso. He intends to hold a public hearing on 21 August on Brazil's rights in relation to the exploitation of its products. The hearing will be attended by the director of the Council for the Management of Genetic Heritage.

8. Cupuacu

Cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum) is a small to medium tree in the Rainforest canopy which belongs to the Cocoa family and can reach up to 20 meters in height. Cupuacu fruit has been a primary food source in the Rainforest for both indigenous peoples and animals alike. The Cupuacu fruit is known for its creamy exotic tasting pulp. The pulp is used throughout Brazil and Peru to make fresh juice, ice cream, jam and tarts. The fruit ripens in the rainy months from January to April and is considered a culinary delicacy in South American cities where demand outstrips supply.

Traditional use: Indigenous peoples as well as local communities along the Amazon have cultivated Cupuacu as a primary food source for generations. In former times, Cupuacu seeds were traded along the Rio Negro and Upper Orinoco rivers where indigenous people drink Cupuacu juice after it has been blessed by a shaman to facilitate difficult births. The "beans", are utilized by the indigenous Tikuna people for abdominal pains.

Economic potential - Cupuaçu Chocolate: Because of the close relationship to the cocoa-tree (Theobroma cacao L.) , in addition to pulp production the seeds of T. grandiflorum (ca. 20 % of fresh weight) can be used for manufacturing chocolate-like foodstuffs. There are initiatives throughout Brazil to develop Cupuaçu Chocolate, in Brazil also known as "Cupulate".

In Japan this product is already being produced and commercialized. Only in the first quarter of the year 2002, the Amazon state exported 50 tons of cupuaçu seeds to Japan.

It is expected that the Japanese will buy approximately 200 tons of cupuaçu seeds for chocolate production next year. Once again, Brazil assumes the insignificant role of a supplier of raw material.

Cupulate - Invention of Japanese and American companies? There is a series of patents on the extraction of the fat from the cupuaçu seeds and the production of cupuaçu chocolate. Almost all of them were registered by the company ASAHI Foods Co., Ltd. from Kyoto, Japan. The alleged inventor, Mr. Nagasawa Makoto is at the same time director of ASAHI Foods and owner of the US company "Cupuacu International Inc" that holds another world patent on the Cupuaçu seed.

Cupuaçu - Registered Trademark in Japan, USA and Europe. Besides the patents, ASAHI Foods Co., Ltd. has registered the plant name "Cupuaçu" as a Trade mark for various product classes (including chocolate) in Japan, the European Union and in the US.

9. Ghana "Bushmeat" Documentary at Film Festival

Conservation International's "Say No to Bushmeat" documentary, which highlights the environmental damage and health problems caused by the commercial trade of wild game in Ghana, has been selected as a finalist at the 2003 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Chosen from a field of 550 international entries, "Say No to Bushmeat" was nominated in the "Best Non-Broadcast" category.

The 9-minute documentary was part of a broad-based international media campaign designed to put a halt to the bushmeat trade. Once a traditional subsistence activity, bushmeat hunting has evolved into a high-impact commercial enterprise, which has driven several species to the brink of extinction and is thought to be worth $350 million per year.

"Since the release of the video and the awareness campaign we launched in Ghana in August 2002, the bushmeat trade has been reduced considerably," said Okyeame Ampadu-Agei, executive director of Conservation International (CI) Ghana. "The campaign has helped dramatically change people's attitudes about bushmeat consumption. Of the 300 restaurants in Accra that were selling bushmeat before the campaign, 92 percent no longer participate in the trade."

Produced by CI's International Communications Department, the film was shot in the markets of Accra and Kumasi, and in the Ghanaian countryside. Written and edited by CI Senior Producer Flavia Castro, the documentary not only highlights the environmental damage caused by the bushmeat trade but also the alarming public health issues associated with the practice. "It was a dramatic experience to film these animals being slaughtered and sold in the market, and to watch hunters burning large tracts of land to corral wildlife for the bushmeat trade," said the documentary's director and executive producer, Haroldo Castro, vice president for CI International Communication's. "These striking images were counterbalanced by interviews with powerful traditional leaders that believe that bushmeat should be eradicated because it is not sustainable and, in some cases, is threatening the very survival of the animal species that are the sacred totems of their clan."

The campaign emphasized the traditional belief that the survival of each clan is inextricably linked to the survival of the clan's symbolic animal, or totem. But according to a CI study highlighted in the film, almost 98 percent of the totems associated with the country's 110 ruling clans are no longer found in their traditional territory due to bushmeat hunting.

"The bushmeat trade in Ghana has caused a tremendous decline in wildlife populations, and in many cases has left some important forest blocks virtually devoid of all large and visible animals, a condition described as empty forest syndrome," explained the Vice President for Research at CI's Center for Applied Biodiversity Science Mohamed Bakarr. "This documentary, and the Ghanaian public's reaction to it, is reason for hope; if we can continue to change people's attitudes and behaviour through the media, we can save countless numbers of species that are currently on the brink of disappearing."

The bushmeat awareness campaign and documentary encouraged widespread media coverage of the issue and was featured on CNN International, Reuters Television and AP Television, among others.

CI video productions aimed at raising conservation awareness in Brazil, Madagascar and Guyana have won top prizes at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in 1991, 1995 and 1999. Final judging for this year's award will take place immediately before the festival, which runs 22-27 September. Final results will be announced at a gala dinner and ceremony 25 September 2003.

NTFP 310 Floral Greens - Coastal (1 unit) Date: 6-7 September 2003 Location: Port McNeill and vicinity Provides an introduction to species identification, sustainable harvesting techniques, handling and value-added processing of the principal species used as floral and decorative greens. Participants are also introduced to the structure of the floral greens industry and to the basic requirements for a successful floral greens business.

NTFP 311 Wild Mushrooms - Coastal (2 units) Date: 26-29 September 2003, plus field trip to be scheduled Location: Port McNeill and vicinity Introduces basic mushroom biology and ecology, including identifying and locating the major species of mushrooms harvested for commercial and personal use and the major groups of poisonous fungi. Participants learn proper methods of harvesting and handling wild mushrooms, and about key aspects of wild mushroom businesses and operations.

NTFP 314 Heritage Interpretation and Tourism (1 unit) Date: 20-22 October 2003 Location: to be announced In this course participants will be introduced to the potential uses of NTFPs in tourism products and educational programs including guided tours, educational workshops, festivals, and ethnobotanical programs. Learners will be introduced to the process of building a tourism product or educational program around NTFPs, and will become familiar with methods for presenting information appropriate to a range of audiences.

NTFP 315 Native Plants for Restoration and Horticulture (1 unit) Date: 24-26 October 2003 Location: to be announced Instructs participants in identifying, harvesting, handling - as well as value-added preparation and marketing - of major species of plants used for restoration, landscaping and horticulture. Ethical and sustainable harvesting principles and practices are emphasized.

NTFP 316 Indigenous Plant Technologies - Coastal (1 unit) Date: 22-24 October 2003 Location: to be announced Introduces participants to a wide variety of Indigenous plant uses, other than foods and medicines, such as clothing, weaving, fishing, and household uses.

NTFP 350 Sustainable Development of Non-Timber Forest Products (required) Date: To be scheduled with individual learners Location: To be arranged with individual learners Working in a small group or tutorial format, learners will develop a plan for the second phase of their program, including areas of concentration, choice of electives, project topics, research methods and selection of project mentors. Each learner will identify sustainability objectives and criteria for his or her project.

11. Nominations for Equator Prize 2004

The Equator Prize is a prestigious international award recognizing outstanding local achievement in combining poverty reduction with biodiversity conservation. The Prize is open to community projects in a developing country within the equatorial belt - site of the world's richest biodiversity and home to many of its poorest people.

The six awardees will each receive a trophy, a cheque for US$30 000 - and the global recognition they deserve. The countdown to the Equator Prize 2004 began on World Environment Day (5 June 2003) with the official Call for Nominations.

The closing date for nominations is 5 October 2003. Visit the Equator Initiative website (www.EquatorInitiative.org) for a complete list of eligibility criteria and for full instructions on how to make a nomination. Nominees should demonstrate evidence of the following qualities: impact; partnerships; sustainability; innovation and transferability; leadership and community empowerment; gender equality and social inclusion.

The Equator Prize Award Ceremony will take place in early 2004 at the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Malaysia: a key date in the international calendar and a truly global platform from which the 25 finalists will be able to share the benefits of their experience.

Nominations may be submitted online, by e-mail, post or fax no later than the October 5, 2003 deadline to: The Equator Initiative, UNDP, 405 Lexington Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10174, USA,

12. New forest list: Forests-L

Source: H. Gyde Lund, FIU, 9 June 2003, [gyde@comcast.net] Dragos Postolache writes "Sign up for the Forests-L news and announcements listserve! The International Institute for Sustainable Development, providers of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, has created a new e-mail list for news and announcements related to forest policy issues. This is a peer-to-peer announcement list and any subscriber to FORESTS-L can post to this list. Postings that fall within the list guidelines will be distributed to all other subscribers.

13. FAO forestry databases

Just over a year ago I announced that FAO had prepared a small database on sources of funding for activities in support of sustainable forest management. In response to the many positive comments we received on this pilot project, we have been working to expand this further and a much fuller version of the database is now available (www.fao.org/forestry/finance-sources). The database contains links to the webpages of agencies that present clear guidelines and procedures for applying for their funds. The database can be queried by type of activity, country, type of applicant and the amount of funding required. In addition, in recognition of the digital divide, we have a facility to print-on-demand a complete database extraction for any country in the World and we will be disseminating some of these hard-copies to our partners in developing countries.

Forest valuation database: Another area where FAO is frequently asked for advice is the subject of forest valuation. In response to this, we have created a small database of forest valuation studies, with about 30 examples each from Africa, Asia and Latin America (www.fao.org/forestry/valuation). The database contains short summaries of each study and information such as the location of each study, the forest outputs valued, the valuation methodologies used and the value estimates produced in each study. The database is currently restricted to studies that can be obtained on-line in full and we have focused on developing countries. The database can be queried by country, type of output and valuation methodology used.

Revision and updating: These databases will be updated periodically and FAO would be happy to receive comments on the databases, new information or updates to existing information on the databases. Any such information can be sent to Adrian Whiteman at: adrian.whiteman@fao.org

14. Web sites

From: FAO's NWFP Programme

Anamed (Action for Natural Medicine) A small independent NGO based in Germany that conducts training seminars in Natural Medicine that aim to equip both traditional healers and formal health workers in countries in Africa to use medicinal plants for health and healing.

Goods from the Woods: Enhancing Stewardship and Livelihoods 27-28 September 2003 Grand Rapids, MN , USA This is a chance to learn from other landowners, artisans, and entrepreneurs with resourceful approaches to earning supplemental income, while maintaining their ties to the land. Specialists will teach workshops and offer tips on using your land to benefit you and your family. This event will showcase opportunities to increase the benefits we enjoy from our forests, while protecting them for future generations. For more information, contact: Kathleen Preece on +1-218-759-7730, or visit: www.specialforestproducts.HYPERLINK "http://www.specialforestproducts.com/" com

Symposium - Industrial Leadership for the Preservation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants "Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Industry - Sustainable Sourcing: Environmental, Social and Business Benefits" 14-15 October 2003 Philadelphia, USA Symposium Overview: To explore supply, demand, and natural inventory issues facing the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) industry. To lay the foundation for addressing sustainability, environmental and human rights issues on an industry-wide basis, and determine appropriate models. The Symposium will demonstrate that models for sustainability already exist while illustrating how much of the MAP supply comes from supply chains that are not sustainable or that still need assistance to make the transition to full sustainability. Encourage recognition that the diversity of plants used in MAP products precludes identifying one supply "method" (i.e. cultivated vs. wild crafting) as a panacea. Help answer the question - "Do suppliers and buyers understand the supply chain for each product?" (traceability). Session is intended to give on-the-ground examples that bring life to the generic supply chain presentation.

International representatives from the major "supply range of practices" and end users will attend from: Commercial farms Smallholder/cooperative farms; Wild crafters; Representatives from industry using plant medicines and aromatics; Conservationists, environmentalists and related persons and organizations; with insight from Indigenous Elders, collectors and Root Doctors.

The symposium has been organized by members of the Medicinal Plant Working Group (MPWG). The MPWG is part of the Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA), a consortium of ten federal agencies and more than 145 non-federal cooperators working collectively to prevent plant extinction and to encourage natural habitat restoration.

The book describes how medicinal plants may be used both to strengthen the immune system of AIDS patients, and to treat many of the opportunistic infections associated with AIDS. Because Dr Hirt is a pharmacist, the recommended procedures give attention to hygiene, careful preparation of medicines and accurate dosages.

This paper examines the palm wine trade on the Freetown peninsula, Sierra Leone, during 1997-99, to understand the extent and impacts of non-timber forest products (NTFP) exploitation, the role of NTFP in household income-generating strategies, and their potential value in promoting forest conservation. Palm wine tapped from Elaeis guineensis provides high incomes to certain groups such as Limba tribe members and women while creating social networks among tappers, traders, and retail vendors. Income levels from palm wine tapping were several-fold higher than the minimum daily wage in Sierra Leone during 1998. Gender differences were particularly important in the marketing of palm wine, with women dominating the retail sector whereas men served as producers and middleman. An estimated 90 percent of palm wine middlemen are males, whereas kiosk vendors are mostly females. A formalized gift-giving culture has developed to ensure the continuous flow of palm wine from tapper to consumer.

Nabuurs, G.J. et al. 2003. Development of European Forests until 2050:A projection of forest resources and forest management in 30 countries. European Forest Institute Research Report, Volume 15. x+242 pages. ISBN 90-04-13148-5. Price: EUR 72/US$ 86. The book can be ordered from www.brill.nl

UNDP/UNEP/WB/WRI. 2003. World Resources 2002-2004: Decisions for the Earth: Balance, voice, and power. United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, World Resources Institute. ISBN: 1-56973-532-8.

17. Handbook on Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property

Realizing that traditional knowledge holders stand outside the fold of intellectual property rights and are most often negatively affected by them, the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program has created a handbook that attempts to make intellectual property issues and protection options more understandable and readily available for traditional knowledge holders, human rights NGOs, and legal professionals. Its ultimate goal is to help local communities understand and identify potential protection mechanisms already present in the current intellectual property rights regime that may be applied to their knowledge. For communities that do not wish to participate in the IP regime, it offers suggestions and options to avoid inappropriate claims on their knowledge by others. In addition to introducing intellectual property concepts, this handbook contains a series of exercises to help the user to identify and classify types of knowledge, cultural aspects, and community goals related to specific knowledge claims. Through a series of exercises, it is possible for traditional knowledge holders to identify whether or not specific intellectual property protection options are relevant and/or appropriate for their knowledge.

An electronic version of the handbook is now available for download free of charge at: http://shr.aaas.org/tek/handbook/. Print copies will become available in the coming weeks for a nominal fee to cover printing and shipping charges. Check the website for updates on distribution.

For more information, please contact: Stephen Hansen at shansen@aaas.org or Justin W. VanFleet, Project Coordinator, Science and Intellectual Property in the Public Interest Science and Human Rights Program American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1200 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005 USA,

FBMIS is a peer-reviewed Internet journal which provides free access to original research and review articles in the following areas:

Forest Biometry, which includes (i) Data collection methods including Measurement & Mensuration, Remote Sensing, Experiments, Sampling and Inventory for the collection of tree or forest data, or data relating to processes and populations that occur within forests or trees, and (ii) Use of Statistical methods to analyze, summarize and interpret forest data.

Forest Modelling, which includes use of Mathematical, Statistical, Stochastic and Computer Software models to represent the structure and processes occurring in the forest, or in trees, and the use of statistical methods for fitting such models to forest or tree data.

Forest Growth and Yield Models are a major application area. Forest Information Sciences, which includes techniques for the storage, warehousing and archiving of data, metadata and information, and its management for the purposes Analysis, Modelling, Knowledge extraction and the building of Forest Management Information and Decision Support Systems.

Researchers in any of these areas are invited to submit articles to the journal. See www.fbmis.info/ more the latest issue and details.

To help address some of the challenges faced by private woodland owners, the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC), Cooperative Development Services (CDS) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Community Forestry Resource Center (CFRC) have published a second edition of Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-up Guide for Forest Owner Cooperation. The 160-page guide is intended to show how private landowners, working together, can improve the ecological conditions of their lands while at the same time improving their own economic well-being and that of the communities in which their forest land is located.

Intended primarily for landowners and resource managers, the guide provides essential information on all aspects of establishing a forest owner cooperative, including:

20. Miscellaneous: Carbon Accounting in Forests

A proceedings on "Carbon Accounting in Forests" based on an international workshop held in Canberra in February 2003 has been prepared by CSIRO. The book contains the following papers:

International Responses to Threats of Climate Change, The Clean Development Mechanism, The National Carbon Accounting System, Current Methodologies for Assessing Carbon Budgets in China's Forests, Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism in Thailand, Carbon Flows in the Forestry Sector of Thailand, Application of the COMAP model for Developing and Evaluating Forestry Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options in Vietnam, A Toolbox for Carbon Accounting in Plantations, Toolbox Application: Case Studies for Firewood Production, Species-Site Matching for Carbon Sequestration Plantations, Greenhouse Accounting Research in CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products and The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting.

21. Miscellaneous: Student nominations sought

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations invites nominations for the IUFRO Student Award for Excellence in Forest Sciences (ISA). This award aims at students of forest-related sciences and recognizes outstanding scientific publications, masters or diploma theses (not Ph.D. theses).

The award shall consist of US$2000. A maximum of two awards per year will be presented for work in defined fields. The awards shall be presented formally at an IUFRO meeting in 2004. The President of IUFRO has announced that publications on all themes within the scope of the IUFRO Divisions and Task Forces will be accepted. The submission of such a publication, master-/ diploma thesis should only be through IUFRO Member Organizations or officeholders, and through members of the International Forest Students Association (IFSA), self nominations are not permitted. Nominations shall be sent to the IUFRO Secretariat no later than 15 September 2003.

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